The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-03
ECHOES OF SHARP'STRIAL
PEN PICTURES OF THE CHIEF AC-
TORS AND THE COURT ROOM.

NEw YoRK, July 9. The trial of Jacob
Sharp was in some respects the most notable
ever held In New York In the rear Of the
old CITY Hall, which begins TO look worn
and weather beaten, stands tho white stone
court house, divided into many rooms for
the several courts. An old apple woman
and vendor Of coffee and lemonade ply
their trade in the rotlInda. A room, not
over sixty feet square, on the second floor
of the building, IL designated by small
black and gold sign as the Court OF Oyer
and Termlncr, old Norman Latin words
which mean "to hear and determine.
Across its entrance n heavy pole, upon
which leans large court attendant,
obstructs the way. A great crowd clamor
for ndmittnnCe at all important trials, but
the attendant admits only II limited number
into the small, stuify court room When
lac deigns TO admit n person he raises the
pole little way and the person stoOpS
down and glides under the obstruction. The
room, with It's blnck walnut wainscOtng
and high canopy under which the Judge
sits looks crampcd and stuify. Its most
conspicuous feature Is II big thermometer on
the western wall IL is ono of the many
thermometers for which tho Tweed Ring
made the city of New York pay
5000 apiece IL is worth about $40,
Tho whole court house is stocked with
relics of the Tweed days. When the hour
for cOnvonng the court arrives court
attendant hammers on the black walnut
wainscoting with his fist. Another court
officer catches his cue and pounds the
wainscoting on his side of the room. They
are announcing that the Judge is coming.
Judge Barrett, who has written n play
a.. in fhn hnnIla
trials, is man of medium stature with II
full black beard, highly arched eyebrows
and the face of n mau of temperate habits,
comes into court with n rapid stride. Tho
clerks and attendants rise and remain stand
ing until he is seated, and then he bows TO
the counsel on both sides, after which the
court cricr, who never varies the intonation
of his voice, requests every one having Dusl-
ness with the COurt~of oyer and Tcrminer
To draw near and lie heard The strict
formaliticS of the court arc never varied,
and nt the nd iournment of the court every
ono IL expected TO remain seated until the
jury has withdrawn. Ono of tho Sharp
iurymcn became so far imbued with n sense
OF the etiquette of the court that one even
ing ut adjournment when the audience
arose to go out before the jury had departed,
the juryman stcrnly raped on the end of
tho box ms a signal for the people to remain
seated until the jury were gone Six OK
penSive lawyers during the five weeks and
moro of the trial sat at a table about their
client. The aggregate daily expense 70 the
defendant Of nll this array of legal talent
averaged $500 per day, 10 say nothing of
retainer fees, which averaged from $500 10
$4,000. Besides this was the expense entailed
for nucnts and private detectives in the
interest of Mr.. Sharp. Added to this was
the cost of employing stenographers by the
defendant, who had in his service one of the
most expert shorthand writer's in the United
States, n short thickset man, who took the
- 600 words of evidence n day with APP
parently less oxertion than anybody EN-
ployed in the case The courts stenographer,
who is said to have no superior in America,
has been reporting TRIALS in the Same
tribunal for more than twenty years. He
wrote the record of the Tweed trial, and
treaSureS among his relies "A friendly com
munication received from Tweed during the
PROGRESS Of the trial, These stenographerS
took daily notes which it would have
required one man twenty-tve hours to
notes for about two hours 20 other steno.
grapherS for moro deliberate transcription
and the remainder of the days record was
dictated 10 expert lady typewriters. 1t took
until or O'clock IN the morning 10 finish
the work, and the stcnographer was obliged
to he in court at $50 O'clock None but
man Injured to this kind of work could have
endured this strain for more than five weeks
even at the liberal compensation of s. per
hour which Sharp is said TO have paid his
private stonngraphcr. The aggregate oX-
pense of his trial TO the defendant was more
than $4,000
The most striking character Of the force
for the defense was the veteran Judge Full
lerton, famous from his connection with the
Beecher and Tweed trials. He wears his
moustacho short cropped, his rather full face
is slightly flushed and his keen gray eyes
CLINT through pair OF old-faShioned
SpeCtaCleS rs he gazcS at his opponent with
a stern look. The defendant himself
presented spectacle Of the most abject woe
ever s,cu in New York court room. When
the case had assumed its darkest prospect
his wonderful win power that had enabled
him 10 keep up during previous viciSSitudeS
began IL give way, He has long been a
victim of kidney trouble, and when he
began 10 succumh IL the strain of the trial
his tlabhy, rather full face assumed an
almost purple cast, his gray-whiSkerod chin
dropped down, leaving his mouth open and
giving his face CHASTITY appearance; his
ewes az times closed drrarily and his head
dropped on his hand in an attitude of dejeC-
ton. Occasionally he would start up with
u startled look and his little gray eyes would
wander 20 the jury box with look of
anxious inquiry. At every moment during
the long trial SharpS grandson, mere
youth with handsome face, sat at his
grandsireS elbow The patient and constant
devotion ot this lad was one Of the features
ot the great trial, and also the keen contempt
with winch he eyed the thNe big Deputy
ShoritfS who continually sat close about Mr..
Sharp 10 ste that he did not follow the
example vi Tweed and escape. Mr. Sharp,
who, 10y the way, is a member OF the BIOS
sum Club, ~ which Tweed belonged, was
never popular member of the club, nor is
he at all faVorite with the men with whom
he has come in contact, but no man ever
euiOyti the more uuSeltiSh devotion OF his
family in his hours vi adversely.
Among the four lawyers who worked "a
~eud Sharp 10 Sing Sing, the most couSpiC-
uouS is Assistant District Attorney NiColl
lie is a typo that Oui,la could use Is the
noble hero Of one of her novels He is very
Young, fOrmsd like AdoniS and endowed
with handsome clean cut features, a hand
some head ot brown hair and short
cropped, tawuy mouStache, The glory ot
his expression, however, is a pair OF light
blue ewes, pleasant hut SearChing. a curl
oUS little bSlld spot ON one side Of his head is
the OnlN defect vi his Appearance, His ~
putAtlou and future prospects depcndtd ON
the outcome Of the Sharp trial, and NO cN-
pCuSe WAS spared in procuring evidence on
behalf NJ the prosecution. MOro than
twenty ssNcypt agents employcd at high sal
aries WeTe az work all the while cutting III
formation rs - witnesses, jurors, Or any at
tempt Cn the part W the defendants u ~
capS, The great gun NJ the prosecuting fory'N